The Week Ahead
(March 15, 2021)

David Postman and Jay Inslee

There’s a new Board Chair at WSLCB, policy committee public hearings on 5 bills plus a prevention work session in the Legislature, and a WSDA webinar on the hemp program.

Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.

Monday March 15th

At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled for Monday. However, March 15th would be the first day of incoming Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Chair David Postman’s six year term. Postman comes to the role at WSLCB having completed eight years of service in Governor Jay Inslee’s administration, including five years as Chief of Staff.

Tuesday March 16th

On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly WSLCB Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.

On Tuesday at 10:30am PT, the Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee (WA Senate LAW) was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public hearing: HB 1105 - "Concerning arrest protections for the medical use of cannabis."

On Tuesday at 1:30pm PT, the Washington State House Finance Committee (WA House FIN) was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public hearing: SB 5004 - “Providing a tax exemption for medical marijuana patients.”

Wednesday March 17th

On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.

On Wednesday at 10am PT, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) planned to host the first of four webinars on the hemp program.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • From the event announcement: “Join Commodity Inspection’s Assistant Director, Jessica Allenton, and Hemp Program Manager, Trecia Ehrlich to learn about the WSDA Hemp Program. Jessica and Trecia will discuss the program’s origins, the USDA Final Rule and it’s impacts, upcoming rule changes, our new application software, and the timeline of hemp production for farmers in Washington State. We’ll also be taking your questions in our chat box, for a Question and Answer session at the end.”
  • On March 22nd, the final rules for the federal hemp program go into effect.

Thursday March 18th

On Thursday at 8am PT, the Washington State Senate Labor, Commerce, and Tribal Affairs Committee (WA Senate LCTA) planned to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public hearing: HB 1210 - ‘Replacing the term "marijuana" with the term "cannabis" throughout the Revised Code of Washington.’

On Thursday at 10:30am PT, WA Senate LAW planned to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Executive session: HB 1105 - "Concerning arrest protections for the medical use of cannabis."

On Thursday at 1:30pm PT, the Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee (WA House COG) planned to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Work session: "Examining the effectiveness of programs to prevent youth access to and use of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, and vapor products."

Friday March 19th

On Friday at 10am PT, WA House COG planned to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public hearing: SB 5372 - "Concerning hemp processor registration and a hemp extract certification."

On Friday at 3pm PT, the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs (CAAA) planned to convene.

2021 Legislative Session

At the Washington State Legislature, the house of origin cutoff occurred on Tuesday March 9th at 5pm PT. On Wednesday March 10th, policy committees began reconvening to consider legislation from their opposite chamber peers. HB 1443 ("Concerning social equity within the cannabis industry") was heard by WA Senate LCTA on Thursday March 11th, while most other cannabis-related bills would be heard in the coming week. Opposite chamber policy committees must hear and exec bills out by Friday March 26th, the next cutoff date.

Cannabis-related Bills - Active (10)

  • HB 1105 - “Concerning arrest protections for the medical use of cannabis.”
    • Sponsors (12): Kloba, Simmons, Fitzgibbon, Dolan, Ortiz-Self, Goodman, Vick, Ormsby, Riccelli, Santos, Macri, Davis
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate LAW on Thursday March 4th
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LAW on Tuesday March 16th
    • Following Step: executive session in WA Senate LAW on Thursday March 18th
  • HB 1210 - ‘Replacing the term "marijuana" with the term "cannabis" throughout the Revised Code of Washington.’
    • Sponsors (14): Morgan, Peterson, Kloba, J. Johnson, Ryu, Santos, Ortiz-Self, Ormsby, Simmons, Gregerson, Riccelli, Macri, Frame, Harris-Talley
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral in WA Senate on Tuesday March 9th
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA on Thursday March 18th
  • HB 1443 - "Concerning social equity within the cannabis industry."
    • Sponsors (13): Morgan, Wicks, Simmons, Berry, J. Johnson, Ramel, Kloba, Ryu, Peterson, Ormsby, Ortiz-Self, Harris-Talley, Macri
    • Companion: SB 5388 (inactive)
    • Last Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA on Thursday March 11th
    • Next Step: executive session in WA Senate LCTA
  • SB 5004 - “Providing a tax exemption for medical marijuana patients.”
    • Sponsors (8): Keiser, Warnick, Conway, Das, King, Kuderer, Saldaña, C. Wilson
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA House FIN on Sunday March 7th
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA House FIN on Tuesday March 16th
  • SB 5035 - “Concerning offender scoring of drug offenses.”
    • Sponsors (18): Dhingra, Nguyen, Billig, Carlyle, Darneille, Das, Hasegawa, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Mullet, Pedersen, Rolfes, Saldaña, Salomon, Stanford, Wellman, C. Wilson
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA House PS on Saturday February 27th
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA House PS
  • SB 5327 - “Creating a confidential youth safety and well-being tip line.”
    • Sponsors (7): Brown, Frockt, Lovelett, Rivers, Short, Warnick, Wellman
    • Last Step: public hearing in WA House CYF on Thursday March 11th
    • Next Step: executive session in WA House CYF on Wednesday March 17th
  • SB 5361 - “Concerning the resentencing of persons convicted of drug offenses.”
    • Sponsors (3): McCune, Warnick, J. Wilson
    • Last Step:  pro forma first reading and referral to WA House PS on Sunday March 7th
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA House PS
  • SB 5372 - "Concerning a hemp processor registration process."
    • Sponsors (6): Stanford, Warnick, Conway, Hasegawa, Saldaña, J. Wilson
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA House COG on Thursday March 11th
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA House COG on Friday March 19th
  • SB 5468 - “Concerning knowing possession of a controlled substance.”
    • Sponsors (16): Mullet, Hobbs, Braun, Brown, Hawkins, Holy, King, Muzzall, Padden, Rivers, Salomon, Schoesler, Short, Wagoner, Warnick, L. Wilson
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate LAW on Monday March 1st
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LAW
  • SB 5471 - “Concerning knowing possession of a controlled substance.”
    • Sponsors (2): Padden, Wagoner
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate LAW on Thursday March 4th
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LAW

Cannabis-related Bills - Inactive (10)

  • HB 1019 - “Allowing residential marijuana agriculture.”
  • HB 1260 - “Concerning the development of the marijuana market.”
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA House COG on Monday January 18th
  • HB 1345 - “Concerning the regulation of products sold to adults age 21 and over.”
  • HB 1414 - “Aligning marijuana licensing decisions by the liquor and cannabis board with local zoning ordinances.”
  • HB 1463 - “Addressing serious mental health consequences of high-potency cannabis products by regulating the sale of cannabis concentrates.”
  • HB 1499 - “Providing behavioral health system responses to individuals with substance use disorder.”
  • SB 5129 - “Concerning the possession of vapor, vapor products, tobacco, and tobacco products by minors.”
  • SB 5266 - “Concerning the regulation of products sold to adults age 21 and over.”
  • SB 5365 - “Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission.”
  • SB 5388 - “Concerning social equity within the cannabis industry.”
    • Companion: HB 1443 (active)
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate LCTA on Friday January 29th